Calling call-wise, farm-country coyotes into range is no mean feat; Greg shot this one at over 300 yards. An accurate, easy-handling predator rig helps make those long shots a snap.

If ever there was a misunderstood firearm, it is the predator rifle. Though the “varmint” designation, at least to me, connotes a heavy-barreled, target-type rifle intended for extended, long-range shooting on prairie dogs, many shooters use the term to describe predator rifles as well. But the long, heavy rigs favored by varmint shooters aren’t even close to the rifles preferred by predator hunters.

Varmint hunters generally snipe their quarry from a solid, steady perch, but predator hunters usually carry their guns great distances as they walk from one call site to another, trying to lure a wily songdog, fox, or bobcat into range. I’ve shot coyotes that practically ran me over, and I’ve shot them—or at least shot at them—from 400 yards or more. Those shots are often at moving animals or call-shy dogs that stop just briefly to examine my decoy or at the sound of my squeak. Demanding shooting and the running-and-gunning-style savvy predator hunters prefer to make the predator rifle a fairly specialized gun.

I am a big fan of AR-15s, but most bolt-action predator rifles are less expensive than ARs, and many hunters find turn-bolts lighter in weight and easier to use. Consequently, bolt-actions reign supreme in the predator hunting field.

To me, the ideal predator rifle is a relatively trim, compact rifle with a light- or medium-contour barrel of 20 to 22 inches. Those shorter barrels are easy to maneuver in tight brush, and they’re fast on target. Either length will get the job done out to 350 yards or more when chambered for predator cartridges such as the .223 Remington or the .22-250 Rem.

Predator rifles should be bedded into a stock with a relatively trim, sporter profile. Such stocks are ideal for rifles that will be carried a lot. In addition to being lighter and easier to carry, sporter-style stocks are much easier to shoot from field positions than heavier, varmint-style stocks.

I am not a big camo devotee, but good camouflage is essential for predator hunting. Predators have incredible vision, and the more you can do to foil it, the better your odds of calling one to within range. At the very least, a predator rifle should have a camo stock, though full camouflage is a much better choice.